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I’ve got some thoughts along those lines. Namely, here is a team of players
not capped in 15s who I’d like to see at camp, and why:
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Prop: Mikey Su’a. I wonder what will happen when he is given an international conditioning program. Not that he hasn’t been working hard at BYU. Still a fascinating prospect.
Hooker: Zach Fenoglio. The standout DII player in the All Americans,
Fenoglio has the ability to be everything the USA needs in a #2.
Prop: Tim Paulsen. Every indication is that this Chicago Griffin is on a
solid trajectory upward.
Lock: Nick Civetta. The lock position is begin eviscerated these days, what
with retirement, injury, and the NFL dragging Eagles away elsewhere. I like
Civetta because he’s athletic and tall. Tall is good.
Lock: Casey Rock. I think Rock really wants this, which helps. Like
Civetta, he’s tall, only taller.
Flanker: Taylor Mokate. Can actually play second row and No.8 – usually a
No. 8. Playing well in New Zealand and really primed to break in. The
problem for him (and everyone else trying to be a back rower in the USA)?
The competition is very fierce.
Flanker: Derek Asbun. Love this guys work rate and his intelligence. The
interesting part about Asbun is that he might actually project as a hooker.
Really.
No. 8: Andrew Durutalo. Is this a cheat? Well we haven’t seen him play a lot of 15s. I kind of think he’d do OK.
Scrumhalf: Shaun Davies. There are some other scrumhalves worth looking at,
and Don Pati is certainly one of them, but Davies is very slick, and
precise.
Flyhalf: Taylor Howden. I could put Zach Pangelinan in here. This is an
area of need and I want someone young and confident.
Wing: Dimitri Efthimiou. Remember this guy? Mystic River. Leicester Academy. Now in Sydney. Very quick. Why not?
Inside Center: Nate Ebner. Ohio State football player, former USA U20 star.
Used to play fullback when he was skinny, now a beast and, again, why not?
(Some other backs ... Gareth Jones, Dustin Muhn ...)
Outside Center: Ed Pitts. One of those players who has been an
up-and-comer, and maybe could stand to be looked at.
Wing: Miles Craigwell. The funny thing about Craigwell is that while he’s
been touted as a 7s player, he might end up doing even better in 15s. Why?
Well, he’s fast, but not quite blazing enough for a wing in 7s. He’s
physical, but in a heat-seeking missile kind of way that can draw you out
of position in 7s. But in 15s, that speed and physicality could work very
nicely.
Fullback: Joe Cowley. Terrific player in general, but an outstanding
goalkicker. I love Will Holder too, but as someone who will be in the Army,
he’s not guaranteed availability. So I look at Cowley as someone who can
bring those skills to the USA at some point.
Comment below and tell us who you'd like to see.